A 40-year-old Dublin woman who stabbed her husband over 60 times has been convicted of his murder.

Tanya Doyle has been jailed for life for killing 48-year-old engineer Paul Byrne at their home in Pairc Gleann Trasna, Aylesbury in Tallaght, Dublin on September 4th 2009.

The jury's unanimous verdict came after 6 hours and 19 minutes of deliberations at the Central Criminal Court.

During the trial they heard a recording of the distressing 999 call made by Paul Byrne in which he begs for his life and tells the operator 'my wife is stabbing me, she's trying to kill me'. At the scene, Tanya Doyle told gardai she was not sorry, she wanted a fresh start and her husband had refused to sign over the house.

Psychiatric defence

The defence called consultant psychiatrist Dr Paul O'Connell who gave evidence that she was suffering from schizoaffective disorder at the time which diminished her responsibility for the killing.

The prosecution's expert Professor Harry Kennedy of the Central Mental Hospital testified that even if Tanya Doyle had a mental disorder, it did not play a major part in the offence.

Tanya Doyle showed no emotion at the verdict and said 'Ok, your honour' as Mr. Justice Garrett Sheehan imposed the mandatory life sentence for murder.

Paul Byrne's brother Noel gave victim impact evidence that the 40-year-old has never expressed even the smallest amount of remorse for his brother's 'violent and brutal' death.

Afterwards he said his family were happy with the verdict. He described Paul as a 'lovely compassionate person'.

Pictured above is Paul Byrne